Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton has confirmed to Lincolnshire Live that the club are close to sealing the loan signing of Swansea City striker Liam Cullen. 

The Imps had previously prioritised the signing of a new frontman this month and it appears that they have finally found their ideal target in the shape of the 22-year-old.

Lincoln are said to have beaten Portsmouth to the signing of Cullen - who has made 12 Sky Bet Championship appearances this season for the Swans - and a host of other potential suitors.

Now Appleton has confirmed that a deal is close to being struck for the youngster, as he stated the following recently:

"He's bundle of energy, he's like a Duracell battery.

"One, he's good with his back to goal. Two, he comes alive in the box which is going to be important. He can play in numerous positions, either side [of the front three] but we want to get him centrally as much as we can.

"He's an infectious character, I think the fans will love his personality.

"He's everything you'd want in a striker."

Cullen has played 38 times for Swansea at senior level since progressing through to the first team from the academy and will now be looking to grasp his opportunity with both hands at Sincil Bank.

He will join his teammate Morgan Whittaker, who is also on loan at the League One club.

The Verdict 

Lincoln have been eyeing the signing of a new striker for quite some time and it would be fair to say that Appleton views Cullen as the ideal addition for his side.

He's versatile and full of energy plus, most importantly, he is keen to impress not only his new manager but also his parent club.

Cullen has had to be patient in order to get a chance like this and the challenge for him now will be to see if he can score regularly at third tier level.

If he can between now and the end of the season, it could increase his involvement for the Swans when he returns to the club in the summer.